Census information gives us a unique snapshot of history every ten years, and this section examines some of the things we can learn about Hartford in 1881. (The 1881, 1901 and 1911 censuses are the most accessible as they are now available online. The 1921 census data will not be released to the public until 2021 as there is a 100 year period before personal information is made available)
The raw facts, gathered for statistical purposes, offer an interesting insight into the way people lived and a way of life far removed from the present day. For instance, in Cheshire at this time approximately 30% of females in employment were domestic servants. In the case of Hartford it was 31% of the working population (male and female combined).
Large Houses and Prominent People:
Information on prominent local people appears under their residence in "Large Houses" with a cross reference list provided.
Hartford Manor
Hartford Manor was built approx 400 years ago and was originally a farmhouse that was extended several times. It is currently the headquarters of Holidaybreak plc.
This family of four people employed seven servants. There is a striking difference between William's age and that of his, presumably, second wife - 30 years!
Name | Relation | Marital
Status | Gender | Age | Birthplace | Occupation |
William W Blake | Head | M | Male | 63 | Burslem, Staffordshire | Solicitor |
Edith Blake | Wife | M | Female | 33 | Mobberley, Cheshire | Solicitor |
Eliza M Spens | Daughter | M | Female | 30 | Northwich, Cheshire | Officers Wife |
Maud E Spens | Grand Daughter | U | Female | 10 | Canterbury | Officers Dau |
Sarah Ankers | Servant | U | Female | 72 | Harthill, Cheshire | Maid |
George Laurie | Servant | W | Male | 50 | Scotland | Butler |
Ann Thomas | Servant | U | Female | 34 | Chester, Cheshire | Cook |
Elizabeth Stretton | Servant | U | Female | 28 | Amington, Warwickshire | Laundry Maid |
Eleanor Hollis | Servant | U | Female | 27 | Blithfield, Staffordshire | House Maid |
Elizabeth Worthington | Servant | U | Female | 20 | Mobberley, Cheshire | Kitchen Maid |
Maria Fox | Servant | U | Female | 28 | Dartmouth, Devon | Nurse |
Name | Relation | Marital
Status | Gender | Age | Birthplace | Occupation |
James Royds | Head | M | Male | 59 | Cheshire | Magistrate for Cheshire
MA Clergyman of the Church of England |
Isabella E Royds | Wife | M | Female | 37 | Isle of Wight | |
John Sampson | Servant | U | Male | 43 | Gt Sankey, Lancashire, Cheshire | Butler Dom |
Mary Beeton | Servant | U | Female | 61 | Batley, Stafford | Housekeeper |
Mary J Armishaw | Servant | U | Female | 25 | Aston, Stafford | Cook Domestic |
Josephine Nisolet | Servant | U | Female | 22 | Geneva, Switzerland | Ladies Maid Domestic |
Sarah A Rowe | Servant | U | Female | 26 | Isle of Wight | Housemaid Domestic |
Elizabeth A Booth | Servant | U | Female | 17 | Hartford, Cheshire | Kitchen Maid Domestic |
Bagshaw's Directory of 1850 shows the Rev. James Royds jun. to be incumbent of the curacy of St Johns church in Hartford and living in "Woodlands" with his father James Royds Esquire. In 1892 the house was still in the possession of the Royds family with Mrs James Royds in residence (presumably her husband had died) but by 1914 had passed into the hands of Henry Bratt JP.
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Mr John Bolton Littledale was a wealthy Cheshire businessman living at Sandiway Bank (now Sandiway House). In 1881 this house was part of Weaverham cum Milton rather than its present day incorporation into Hartford and the house and lodge were much more isolated. The census information is interesting:-
Name | Relation | Marital
Status | Gender | Age | Birthplace | Occupation |
John B Littledale | Head | M | Male | 58 | Liverpool, Lancashire | Retired Broker |
Mary Littledale | Wife | M | Female | 35 | Manchester, Lancashire | |
Minitte Littledale | Daughter | U | Female | 14 | Weaverham, Cheshire | Scholar |
Edith M Littledale | Daughter | U | Female | 10 | Weaverham, Cheshire | Scholar |
Mary Littledale | Daughter | U | Female | 5 | Weaverham, Cheshire | Scholar |
Rosa L Woodyatt | Visitor | U | Female | 14 | Over, Cheshire | Scholar |
Mary Hobson | Governess | U | Female | 48 | Birmingham Heath | Governess |
Mary Ann Wilson | Servant | U | Female | 26 | Crook, Westmorland | Ladies Maid |
Ann Bizby | Servant | U | Female | 31 | Loughton, Yorkshire | Cook |
Alice Hignett | Servant | U | Female | 22 | Weaverham, Cheshire | Kitchenmaid |
Mary Chatterton | Servant | U | Female | 22 | Lower Bebbington, Cheshire | Housemaid |
Francis Tuftey | Servant | U | Female | 30 | Prestnell, Leicestershire | Housemaid |
and in the Lodge:-
Name | Relation | Marital
Status | Gender | Age | Birthplace | Occupation |
James Gregory | Head | M | Male | 61 | Little Budworth, Cheshire | Butler |
Margaret Gregory | Wife | M | Female | 71 | Latham, Lancashire | Butlers Wife |
This family of five people employed seven servants. There is a striking difference between John's age and that of his wife - 23 years! He died in 1889 at the age of 66 and is buried in Hartford churchyard where a window at the west end of the church was given by his friends and dedicated to his memory.
The House was subsequently owned by Sir John Brunner Bt who was MP for Northwich from 1910 to 1918 - he was the son of the founder of Brunner Mond. It was then empty for some time before being used as the Mid Cheshire Electricity Board headquarters, then by Leonard Fairclough (builders) and then as offices for AMEC plc. until 2009 when it passed back into private hands.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the census data is an analysis of how people made their living - their trades and professions.
In the case of Hartford it shows the influence of the local salt trade, the railway and the River Weaver together with a clear view of how different society was then - particularly the number of people employed as domestic servants (31% of the working population). It is also interesting to note that there were at least 72 people directly involved with the care or use of horses.
In the 1881 census there were 1455 people in Hartford on the night of the census (including 10 visitors) - of these 208 were shown as wives, 372 were scholars, 116 infants and 24 adults without an occupation (usually part of the extended family - old widowed parents or young dependents over school age) - although obviously some wives would have worked with their husbands e.g. publican's wife.
It should be borne in mind that the village boundaries were not exactly the same as they are today.
Here is a breakdown of those people's occupations where it was stated in the census - it was common practice to give a wife the same occupation as her husband and so these have been omitted from the figures.
Domestic Servants | | | |
Coachman | 15 | Lady's Maid | 1 |
Groom | 8 | Laundry Maid | 1 |
Cook | 18 | Kitchen Maid | 3 |
Housekeeper | 13 | House Maid | 14 |
Gardener | 27 | Domestic Servant | 89 |
Butler | 5 | Maid | 1 |
Footman | 2 | Page Boy | 2 |
Valet | 2 | Governess | 1 |
Nurse | 9 | Waitress | 2 |
Unemployed Domestic Servants | 10 | Companion | 2 |
Total | 225 | | |
| | | |
Railway | | | |
Station Master | 1 | Goods Clerk | 1 |
Signalman | 1 | Railway Servant | 1 |
Pointsman | 2 | Railway Porter | 5 |
Booking Clerk | 1 | Carter Agent | 1 |
Labourer | 1 | | |
Total | 14 | | |
| | | |
River Weaver | | | |
Bargeman Captain | 1 | Mate | 1 |
Timekeeper | 1 | Labourer | 23 |
Engine Fitter | 1 | Engine Driver | 2 |
Ship Carpenter | 3 | Waterman | 5 |
Lock Tenter | 2 | Seaman Stoker | 1 |
Total | 40 | | |
| | | |
Salt Trade | | | |
Salt Proprietor | 2 | Rock Salt Miner | 1 |
Chemical Labourer | 14 | Saltworks Labourer | 9 |
Salt Boiler | 19 | Chemist | 1 |
Total | 46 | | |
| | | |
Other | | | |
Saddler | 3 | Groom (Non Domestic) | 38 |
Farmer | 9 | General Labourer | 31 |
Agricultural Labourer | 27 | Staymaker | 1 |
Builder's Labourer | 16 | Laundress | 19 |
Joiner | 21 | Shopkeeper | 1 |
Boot and Shoemaker | 6 | Office Boy | 3 |
Auctioneer | 1 | Auctioneer's Clerk | 2 |
Brickyard Labourer | 6 | Dressmaker | 18 |
Bricklayer | 9 | Errand Boy | 3 |
Coach Painter | 1 | Wheelwright | 3 |
Clerk | 7 | Builder's Agent | 1 |
Hosiery and Smallware Dealer | 1 | Post Carrier | 3 |
Leather Dresser | 1 | Cotton Spinner | 1 |
Barmaid | 2 | Cattle Dealer and Butcher | 5 |
Brewers Agent | 1 | Butcher | 1 |
Property Owner | 2 | Bank Manager | 1 |
Wholesale Grocer | 2 | Bank Cashier | 1 |
Annuitant | 19 | Bookkeeper | 1 |
Grocer | 6 | Tailor | 6 |
Sherrif's Officer | 1 | Police Officer | 1 |
Teacher | 11 | Sawyer and Beerhouse Keeper | 1 |
Beerhouse Keeper | 2 | Painter | 4 |
Lodginghouse Keeper | 1 | Cooper | 3 |
Hotel Keeper | 1 | Draper | 3 |
Ironmonger | 11 | Coal Merchant | 2 |
Blacksmith | 8 | Coalyard Labourer | 2 |
Mantle Maker | 1 | Fishmonger | 1 |
Publican | 1 | Cotton Manufacturer | 1 |
Ironworks Labourer | 1 | Nurseryman | 2 |
Nailmaker | 1 | Hairdresser | 1 |
Iron Moulder | 2 | Tinplate Worker | 1 |
Whitesmith and Brazer | 1 | Striker in Smithy | 1 |
Riveter at Iron Works | 1 | Milliner | 1 |
Baker | 1 | Engine Driver | 2 |
Baker's Boy | 1 | Solicitor | 3 |
Sawyer | 1 | Independent Means | 1 |
Tile Cutter | 1 | Agent | 2 |
Carpenter | 1 | Provision Dealer | 3 |
Carrier | 2 | Timber Merchant and Builder | 2 |
Plumber | 3 | Timber Yard Labourer | 2 |
Builder's Manager | 1 | Army Captain | 1 |
Cotton Broker | 2 | Gentleman | 3 |
Sailor Retired | 1 | Surgeon | 2 |
Ship Builder | 1 | Commission Agent | 1 |
Clergyman | 2 | Farm Bailiff | 2 |
Pensioner Chelsea | 2 | Magistrate | 2 |
Stonemason | 5 | Boilermaker | 4 |
Total | 400 | | |
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